Maria Grundström

Doktorand

Tel: 031-786 2986
E-post: maria.grundstrom@bioenv.gu.se
Fax: 031-786 2560

Forskning

Exposure to air pollutants in a changing climate

The research is focused on how the air pollutants which are considered to be of largest importance, nitrogen oxides, particles and ozone, vary temporally and spatially. The work consists of theoretical and practical tasks which in the end may be of large importance for national and international air quality management. An important part of the task is to identify those situations that lead to high concentrations and how they link to meteorological factors and thus may be altered by climate change.
This will include the consideration of the so called ‘climate penalty factor’ for ozone, i.e. the ozone concentration will be higher, and air quality guidelines harder to meet, in a warmer climate even if the emissions remain constant. Studies will be performed on how situations with high levels of nitrogen oxides and particles depend on the large-scale weather situation such as expressed by the North Atlantic Oscillation Index. In addition, the relationship between high levels of nitrogen oxides and particles, and how it depends on meteorological conditions, will be investigated.

The work is linked to the societal management of air pollutants. Thus, the degree of exceedances of air quality standards in Sweden and the EU will be considered, as well as exposure indices used to assess the risk for ozone effects on vegetation which is sensitive to the combination of ozone concentration and meteorology. An important outcome of the work is the assessment of how the potential to meet air quality standards is influenced by climate change.